Lifejacket trial to begin for Victoria’s 10 most dangerous fishing spots

Lifejackets will be made mandatory across Victoria’s 10 most dangerous beaches for rock-fishing as the state records its worst death toll from drowning in years.

Lifejackets will be made mandatory across Victoria’s 10 most dangerous fishing beaches to stop the state’s record drowning death toll from getting worse.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority two-year trial means fishermen will need to wear lifejackets in 10 hot spots across the state.

Fishing and boating minister Melissa Horne said the policy, which will fine people who do not comply, would “drastically reduce the risk of drowning”.

“We want everyone to get home safely at the end of the day, which is why we are rolling out this trial at 10 high-risk locations across Victoria," she said.

Victoria recorded its worst death toll in 20 years in 2021 with drownings up from 70 to 79.

Life Saving Victoria say rock-fishers are at the greatest risk because no one “expects to get into trouble” in the water with the rapidly changing conditions.

It comes after a father and son were killed while fishing in NSW on January 31 at Little Bay in Sydney.

It is believed the father, in his 40s, jumped into the ocean to rescue his nine-year-old son but got trapped under the reef where he and his child died.

In Victoria a woman’s body was also found after she was swept into rough seas at Punchbowl in San Remo when she was fishing with her family on December 31.

Life Saving Victoria health promotion and communications general manager Bernadette Matthews said it was a step closer to “protecting” rock-fishers.

“Panic and exhaustion can set in quickly and lifejackets keep you afloat, which can buy you time to survive until help arrives,” she said.

A Portland man, who asked to remain anonymous, said wearing a lifejacket could make matters worse.

“Wearing a PFD (personal floating device) could result in you being thrown against the cliff as you have no way of diving under breaking waves to get out from the cliff edge,” he said.

He added lifejackets give people a “false sense of security” in an area which experiences some of the “biggest waves in Australia”.

The trial will include Cape Bridgewater, Artillery Rocks, the rock platform opposite Sheoak Falls, Sorrento Back Beach rocks, Rye back beach number 16, Cape Schanck lighthouse rocks, Bushrangers Bay rocks, Pyramid Rocks on Phillip Island, the rocks at the southern end of Potters Hill Road in San Remo and Punchbowl rocks.